Reflections
by obscurewriter05
Summary: Cullen waits as the Inquisitor faces her biggest fight yet with only Dorian and Vivienne for support. Will she live? Will she die? And what will Cullen think about in the meantime? **Warning: Later chapters contain Fluff and more**
1. Prologue

_Cullen sat outside the Inquisitor's door, head in his hands as he waited impatiently, afraid for his beloved. The silence was worse than the cries of pain that had ceased about an hour ago. He shivered, staring intently at the floor, at least when she was screaming he knew that Rosalina was alive. Now there was nothing. He wish Vivienne or even Dorian would come down just to let him know she was alive. _

_"__Don't worry, Curly," Varric said softly, sitting down next to the Commander, "If it was bad news Sparkles would have told us by now. I'm sure dear Rosie is fine."_

_Cullen shook his head, "I did this to her Varric, and what if she's not okay?" _

_Varric frowned, glancing at the others who were waiting with him before answering, "She will be. She has to be." _

_Sera paced silently while Iron Bull and Blackwall sat side-by-side. Cassandra frowned at Sera, but refrained from saying anything, understanding that she needed to pace to keep herself calm. Cole, in fact, was the only one who seemed calmed, agitated only by their agitation._

_"__I could check on her, if you like," Cole said quietly. "I know I'm not as quiet as I used to be, but I can check."_

_Cullen shook his head, "Dorian explicitly said No one else."_

_The room grew quiet again as the group waited. Praying that the Inquisitor was alright, and Cullen thought back to the first time he'd ever laid eyes on his beloved wife._


	2. The Beginning

Rosalina's head was pounding when she awoke and for a moment she wondered just how much she'd had to drink, before remembering that she hadn't drank the night before. She was supposed to be attending the Conclave in the morning and she'd wanted a clear head on her shoulders when she went in. She lifted her head slowly, feeling the bonds on her wrist, a terrible ache in her left hand, and minor bruises through the rest of her body.

She watched as the door swung open and a woman with dark hair barged through, her eyes flashing furiously. Rosalina recognized the Seeker symbol on her armor and flinched inwardly. Seekers were notorious for being ruthless and persistent in the search for truth – or at least their version of the truth – though she wondered what a Seeker would want from her. No mage and she had yet to be forced into Templar service, there wasn't much a Seeker would want from this Trevelyan. She was so focused on the woman who radiated anger, that she hardly noticed the figure who slipped in behind her.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now," The Seeker demanded. "The conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

Rosalina stayed silent, watching the Seeker. She had no answers to give and she hoped that the silence would by her some time as she frantically searched her memories for what had occurred. She remembered heading toward the room the conclave was being held in… then nothing. Her mind was completely blank of any possible explanations.

The Seeker reached down and yanked up her arm.

"Explain this!"

Rosalina stared in horror. Where once a normal, delicate hand was there was now a green, glowing monstrosity. She recoiled slightly at the sight.

"I can't!" The words burst from her before she had time to consider them.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I don't know what that is. Or how it got there," Rosalina pleaded with the woman.

"You're lying," The Seeker almost yelled it as she grabbed Rosalina by the shoulders.

The hooded figure grabbed the Seeker, pushing her backwards. 

"We need her, Cassandra."

"Whatever you think I did, I'm innocent," Rosalina declared, sounding more sure than she felt at the moment.

"Do you remember how this began?" The figure asked, and Rosalina saw the woman for the first time.

Her red hair fell down to her shoulders in straight lines, except for the one little braid she had tucked behind her ear. Her green eyes glittered dangerously and for the first time Rosalina sensed she was dangerous, perhaps even more so than the quick tempered brunette that was now standing off to the side.

"I remember running… things chasing me," Rosalina struggled to recall the sudden, fuzzy memory. "And then... a woman?"

"A woman?"

"She reached out to me but then –"

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana," Cassandra told the woman, cutting off any other words Rosalina could offer. "I will take her to the rift."

"What did happen?" She asked, when the two women were alone.

"Easier to show you."

Rosalina stared in horror at the green sky that matched her hand, and she understood before the Seeker said a word, why they were accusing her of destroying the Conclave.

"I'll help," She said in answer to whatever Cassandra was saying, coming back down to Earth.

Cassandra raised her eyebrows in surprise, leading her toward this 'Rift' as she called it.


	3. Chuckles and the Storyteller

Rosalina stared at this strange elf who had grabbed her hand and shoved it into the 'Rift' without so much as a hello before doing so. She was surprised and a little disturbed at how easily he had grabbed her arm, almost as if he had done it a hundred times before. She tore her arm away quickly before she could think on it too much.

"What did you do?" She demanded.

"I did nothing, the credit is yours," The elf answered calmly.

"At least this is good for something."

"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breaches wake – and it seems I was correct..."

"Meaning it could also close the Breach itself," Cassandra said, stepping forward.

"Possibly. It seems you hold the key to our salvation."

"Good to know. Here I thought we'd be ass-deep in demon forever." A new voice chimed in.

Rosalina turned to see a dwarf walking toward them. No, not just any dwarf, Rosalina realized. That particular one was Varric Tethras – renowned author and friend of the Champion of Kirkwall. She bit her tongue to keep from squealing in delight, having read _everything _the author had ever wrote.

"Varric Tethras, rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong," He said, winking at Cassandra.

Rosalina's first reaction was to inform him that she knew exactly who he was, but she bit it back and replied with, "Nice to meet you, Varric."

"You may reconsider that stance in time," The elf teased.

"Aw, I'm sure we'll become greet friends in the valley, Chuckles."

"Absolutely not, your help is appreciated Varric, but –"

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore. You need me."

Rosalina was trying to keep up with the conversation, having no idea what they were talking about yet. She was relieved when the elf spoke up yet again, distracting her from their discussion.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I am pleased to see you still live."

"He means, I kept that mark from killing you while you slept."

"I appreciate that," Rosalina said, grateful for this mage who she had yet to know anything about.

"Cassandra, you should know, the magic involved here is unlike anything I have seen. Your prisoner is no mage. Indeed, I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

"Understood, we must get to the forward camp quickly."

"Well," Varric chimed in, following Solas and Cassandra as they turned to leave. "Bianca's excited."

Rosalina furrowed her brow in confusion as she followed behind. Who was Bianca?


	4. The First Glimpse

Everything was going like it normally did in a fight – run, hit, kill, repeat – and Rosalina was feeling exhausted. How much farther until they reached their destination? It seemed crazy that, after everything, Cassandra and the other woman wanted _her_ opinion. She had no military experience at all and wasn't even important in their hierarchy. However, she saw little sense in taking the round-about way , allowing soldiers to die for people who were probably already dead anyways. On they ran, taking the most direct route to the ruins of the Temple.

Rosalina could feel herself starting to drag. When was the last time she ran like this? Or for that matter, fought like this? Not in a long time, if ever. She was closing when she saw him. If his armor and the fur cloak hadn't given him away as a higher ranking member, she would have assumed he was just another soldier, running away from whatever they were running to. Just a regular guy.

Until his eyes met hers. Those amber eyes with golden flakes shone with worry for his men even as his arm reached up to rub his neck. Those movements mesmerized her and, for reasons she couldn't explain, she felt herself blushing under his gaze, her blonde hair falling in front of her face as she lowered her head to keep from looking into those searing eyes. Being the youngest of four she had perfected the art of hiding herself so she was unnoticed and now she did it again, looking down as the Commander (Commander!) thanked Cassandra for closing the rift.

"Do not congratulate me Commander, It was the prisoner's doing."

Rosalina looked up sharply at the mention of her, she had not forgotten she was still considered a prisoner here, but she had been hoping that maybe sealing these rifts would help them remember that she was on their side in this. Or was trying to be. She almost ignored it when the Commander addressed her, but she couldn't help responding after he informed her they'd lost a lot of people. She wanted to cry, people who were sacrificing themselves so that she may or may not be able to help. People who didn't even know her. She quickly stopped that train of thought, no sense in going there, not now.

"You're not the only one hoping that," She replied, wincing inwardly as once again her dry humor came to the front. Once again humor, to keep herself from feeling the pain they probably all were feeling.

The Commander's face told her that he didn't approve of her flippancy as it formed into a frown at words, and she felt her insides twist. Wishing she could apologize, explain that it was just a defense mechanism when the weight of worry rested too heavily upon her shoulders, she opened her mouth to say something, but he had already moved on.

"We'll see soon enough, won't we?"

Rosalina allowed her head to fall again as he talked strategy for a brief moment with Cassandra, then they were off again, running at full speed toward the temple. They jumped down into the ruins and Rosalina almost cried out when she looked at the charred remains of various people. She wondered how many of them she knew, how many had she bantered with only just a few nights ago, how many had teased her about being the only female Trevelyan – now dead. All of them. She wanted to cry, or to gag. She couldn't believe this had happened, and they thought she did it.

Rosalina knew one thing for certain: She did_ not _do this. There was no way she would have allowed herself or anyone she knew to go through with it if she had known. Her conscience would not have allowed it. She inhaled quietly, trying to keep her emotions under control as they continued up the steps, hoping against hope that they would find something there that would prove she was innocent of this.

She couldn't believe what she heard as she navigated the ruins, trying to find a way down to the rift. This man, thing, holding the Divine against her will. She was relieved when she heard her own voice trying to stop whatever was taking place, though most of the details were pretty fuzzy and she still had no idea what, exactly, had happened. It was good to know that she was not the one responsible. She fought until she could fight no more as Demons came through the rifts, and was relieved when she finally managed to close it. Looking at the Breach her last thought before losing consciousness was to wonder – _How in Thedas am I going to close that?_


	5. Templars and Rogues

_Author's Note: Sorry about this chapter, there will be a gap in time in this one because I did not want to leave you with only a few paragraphs. Just as a forewarning, I am hoping this works and goes together well. Any feedback is appreciated. _

Rosalina sat on the wall above the training grounds, watching as Cullen drilled his men. From her vantage point she could see well beyond Haven and often she wondered why sentries didn't patrol up here more often. She sighed, in a few more days she was going to have to leave for Therinfall Redoubt and she was dreading going. She had put it off for as long as she could, going so far as to run menial tasks for people in the Hinterlands and the Storm Coast. There was no real reason why she was avoiding going out, other than she had a feeling in her gut that things were not going to go as planned. Lately she wondered if she just had bad luck or if the Maker had taken a dislike to her.

"Herald," Varric's voice came from behind her and she turned her head, glaring at him in mock anger.

"Sorry, sorry," He said hastily, knowing she hated that title. "Rosie."

Rosalina groaned, wondering why she had ever told him her full name. Rosalina Evelyn Lily Trevelyan. He had laughed and insisted on calling her Rosie from that day on. She had to admit it was a great improvement from Evie, which was what her father had insisted on calling her from the time she could toddle, and even more so than Herald, which seemed to be what everyone wanted to call her these days.

"Varric," She smiled slightly, turning back to watch the training.

"Enjoying the view?" He teased, sitting down beside her.

She grinned before turning to him with almost believably innocent eyes. "Well, this is a beautiful place and you can see for miles in any direction."

He laughed so hard he almost fell off the wall, "Right, scenery, that's what you're staring at so intently."

"Just because my scenery differs from your scenery doesn't mean that it's not scenery all the same."

He chuckled and leaned closer to her, "Let me tell you Rosie, you should talk to him. He might be more inclined to acknowledge your existence if you acknowledged his first."

She looked over at him, "We talk. We even managed paragraphs just the other day."

"Paragraphs, really I'm impressed Rosie. Let me know when the paragraphs are deeper than the weather," He teased.

She blushed furiously, staring intently at the Commander to avoid looking at Varric.

"I doubt the Commander has much else to say to me. Have you ever noticed how short he is with me at the War Table? He's like that all of the time, even after supporting him and agreeing to meet the Templars, he doesn't have much to say to me," She turned to Varric with troubled eyes. "I think he hates me, Varric."

Varric shook his head, staring at the Herald with a troubled expression. Cullen, he knew, was not very good at expressing anything, especially interest, but even a nug could see how he stared at Rosalina on those rare times she was not staring at him. Everyone in Haven could sense that they were headed for some sort of Romantic entanglement. Everyone but those two it seemed. He nudged Rosalina gently.

"You should go talk to him, Rosie. Bet you a silver that you can't get beyond 'Hello, Commander, lovely weather we're having. Is there anything important I should know about?'" He teased, winking at her.

Rosalina glared at him, "I'll see that bet and will win!"

She jumped off the wall, landing gracefully on her feet and strode toward the unsuspecting Commander purposefully. She hesitated as she neared him, wondering what exactly she was going to say to this beautiful man that was getting closer to her each moment, then she didn't have time to think anymore because he was turning toward her, greeting her formally.

"What can you tell me about Templar life?" She blurted, it being the first thing that came to her mind.

He looked surprised for a moment, then answered cautiously, "What would you like to know?"

She thought for a minute before answering, "Do Templar's take vows?"

"There's a vigil first. You're meant to be at peace during that time, but your life is about to change. When it's over you give yourself to a life of service. That's when you're given a philter – your first draught of lyrium – and its power. As Templars we are not to seek wealth or acknowledgement. Our lives belong to the Maker and the path we have chosen," He answered, sounding like he was reciting something he had memorized long ago.

"A life of service and sacrifice," Rosalina felt for him. "Are Templars also expected to give up… physical temptations?"

She blushed, not really believing those words had come from her mouth until he answered.

"Physical? Why – Why would you – That's not expected. Templars can marry, although there are rules around it and the Order must grant permission… Some may choose to give up more to prove their devotion, but it's, um, not required."

"Have you?"

She could barely look at him, and she wasn't sure who was blushing more, herself or him.

"Me? I umm, no… I've taken no such vows. Maker's breath – can we speak of something else?"

Her heart plummeted, for a moment she thought maybe he was showing interest in her, but now she was uncertain again, as his voice seemed sharp and annoyed.

"That's all I wanted to know," She answered, quickly hurrying away.

Varric met her at the gates, silver in hand.

"You surprised me Rosie. That was longer than just talking about the weather," He answered.

She shook her head, "Keep it, Varric."

Varric watched her hurry away and he wondered what could have possibly gone wrong between the two.


	6. Therinfall Redoubt

Rosalina was not surprised that the Lord Seeker refused to meet her at the gates. The Templars had not shown any willingness to be affiliated with the Inquisition after all. What had surprised her was the test they asked of her. She stared at the standards, pondering them. The People, The Order, The Maker. She easily raised The People to the highest point, that was, after all, her main concern. She could care less about the Order so long as they helped, but the Maker? She wasn't even sure she believed in him at this point. She pondered between the two for a while before finally choosing the Order and then The Maker. She ignored the gasps and mutters of those behind her and turned back to Ser Barris.

"Usually the answers are now explained to the rest," He answered her unspoken question.

"I let my faith guide me," She meant it as a joke, who could really believe that when she had put The Maker dead last. However, the group took her word for it and allowed it to rest at that.

Somehow it did not surprise her when the commanding officers turned on the rest of them. She wondered for a moment if anything could surprise her anymore before her blade sank into another Templars chest. She turned to follow as they ran up the steps where the Lord Seeker waited. Rosalina had just enough time to wonder what Cassandra and Barris were thinking before her world went dark as a figure that look a lot like her grabbed her by her throat.

She awoke inside what she assumed was the Fade. _I'm really getting tired of this passing out at inconvenient times. _She thought to herself as she looked around at a place that looked similar to Haven. She didn't have time to wonder where she was as she followed her way forward. Pieces slowly began to fall in place as she moved, watching as unspeakable horrors kept appearing before her eyes. After her first initial gasp when she watched the Envy demon kill a duplicate of Cullen, Rosalina learned to keep her mouth shut. She was struggling to keep going when she heard a voice call out.

"Wait."

She turned, looking around cautiously, afraid of whatever this demon was going to show her next. Not seeing anything she strode forward, only to hear the voice again.

"Envy is hurting you."

This time when Rosalina turned a boy stood behind her, looking at her intently.

"Mirrors on mirrors on memories. A face it can feel but not fake. I want to help. You, not Envy."

She was annoyed. Envy was trying to use a boy against her. A boy she didn't even know. How was that fair? The face looked familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. As if he was a memory of a memory she once knew.

"I'm through with your lies, Envy," She snarled, willing this nightmare to end.

"I'm not a lie. I'm Cole. We're inside you. Well, I am. You're always inside you." She turned to see Cole was now standing on the ceiling. Or was it the floor, nothing really made sense here. "It's easy to hear, harder to be a part of what you're hearing. But I'm here, hearing, helping. I hope."

Rosalina looked at the boy again. He didn't seem to be a demon. Could spirits be good? She wasn't sure, but she was sure that he wasn't going to hurt her. He seemed so earnest.

"Envy hurt you. _Is_ hurting you. I tried to help, then I was here, in the hearing. It's - it's not usually like this."

"The least I could ask is that things make sense in my own head," Rosalina half-moaned, half-teased.

"It never works like that," He chuckled.

She smiled, please to see she could get a chuckle out of this strange boy.

"I was watching. I watch. Every Templar knew when you arrived. They were impressed, but not like the Lord Seeker."

"The Lord Seeker is an Envy Demon. It wants to be me."

"Yes. It twisted the commanders. Forced their fury, their fight. They're red inside. Anyway, you're frozen. Envy is trying to take your face. I heard it and reached out, and then in and then I was here."

"Can we get out the way you got in?"

"No. Well, I could. But not you, you need to stay in you. All of this is Envy. People, places, power. If you keep going Envy stretches. It takes strength to make more. Being one person is hard, being many – too many – more and more, envy breaks down. You get out."

"So if we keep moving in my head we tire envy into submission."

"Maybe, I hope it helps. It's more than sitting here waiting to lose your faith."

Rosalina nodded and left, Cole following her out. From that point he was with her, encouraging her, helping her as she navigated the labyrinth he insisted was her mind. When she finally make it out and became herself again she was sad to see him go and sadder still when Ser Barris informed her there was no one but her and the Envy demon as far as they saw.

Defeating the Envy demon outside and gaining the alliance of the Templars seemed so easy after the nightmare that Envy had put her through inside her own mind. The cheers and lighthearted nature of the group as they traveled back to Skyhold did not reach her however. She was troubled by the things that Envy had shown her, especially the words that she had heard Cullen speak, briefly when she was leaving the prison cell she had seen him in. _I should have kill her when I had the chance._ The words echoed around in her head, causing her heart to ache. Then there was the matter of the strange boy – Cole he had called himself. She wondered where he went, where he was now, and if he was okay. The thought of him on her own troubled her greatly, though she couldn't explain why.


	7. Between Spirits and Templars

She met with her advisors as soon as they returned to Skyhold, resolutely refusing to meet Cullen's eyes as they discussed what had happened. He, in turn, wondered what he'd done to offend the beauty before him. Neither of them voiced what they were feeling, however, keeping to the business at hand.

"How long until the veterans arrive?" Rosalina asked, referring the Templars that were coming ahead of the rest of the group.

One minute she was looking at Josephine, the next Cole was in front of her, crouched on the war table, studying the compass that he had picked up.

"They're almost here. Templars don't like to be late," He said, only half paying attention to those around him.

"Maker –" Cullen bit off the rest of his curse as he and Cassandra pulled their swords and started to circle the boy.

"Wait," Rosalina demanded, looking at Cole quizzically.

"I came here to help," He responded to her unanswered question. "I would have told you before, but you were busy."

"That's fine Cole," She responded, keeping her hands out in signal to restrain Cassandra and Cullen, while keeping the rest of her attention on the boy – Spirit? – before her. "You just startled us, appearing out of thin air."

"I wasn't air. I was here. You didn't see me. Most people don't until I let them," Cole said, hopping down from the table.

"Call the guards, this creature is not what he appears to be," Cassandra said, angrily.

"A moment please, Cassandra, I would like to hear why he came," Leliana came to Cole's rescue.

"You help people," Cole replied, looking at Rosalina. "You make them safe when they would have died. I want to do that. I can help."

Rosalina smiled brightly at him. She didn't know why he had chosen her, but he had saved her – there was no way she was going to refuse him. Part of her knew it was because she already cared for the boy, the other part insisted she would have taken him anyway.

"Cole saved my life in Therinfall. I couldn't have defeated Envy without him," Rosalina said in a tone that broke no argument.

"But what does he want now?" Cassandra asked, still refusing to accept that she had allowed Cole in.

"I think he really is trying to help," Rosalina answered, still watching Cole with a smile.

"I won't be in the way. Tiny, no trouble, no notice taken unless _you_ want them to," Cole said gratefully.

"You're not honestly suggesting giving him run of the camp?" Cullen said, irritated.

"Not freely perhaps, but it seems a waste to –" Josephine started as Cole disappeared. "Hold on."

"Where did he go?" Cassandra demanded.

Rosalina could feel the tensions rising again as Cassandra and Cullen looked around in bewilderment for the boy.

"It's a good trick," She joked, trying to lighten the tension in the room. "You get used to it."

She left the war room on that remark, hoping that she would find Solas in his usual spot. Of everyone here he would have the best chance of understanding Cole and would probably be most welcoming of the boy. Rosalina shook her head, not a boy, but a spirit. That would take some getting used to; she couldn't help thinking of him as human. She hadn't even left the chantry before Cullen called for her.

"Herald, you're not really going to let that demon stay are you?" He demanded, worry creasing his brow.

She longed to reach up and smooth that spot with her hand, instead she settled for a quick smile at him.

"I don't think he's a demon, Commander," She replied steadily. "He's just a boy who wants to help and has an unusual set of skills."

She could tell by the set of his jaw that he was unhappy and about to argue with her.

"I understand you're concerned, _Commander, _but I believe he means well and until _you _are put in charge, I want him to stay and it seems that Josephine agrees with me," She folded her arms, waiting for the rebuttal that never came.

He bowed stiffly instead, "As my lady says."

She watched him go, feeling a bit worried and more than a bit sick.

"I'm sorry, I caused you pain," Cole appeared beside her.

"No Cole," She said, as she started for her cabin. "He caused me pain. You were just the tool he used to inflict it."

Cole wrapped an arm around her, "I am sorry."

She shook her head, smiling at him, "Don't you worry about it. I am sure there are others who need your help more than me."

Cole tilted his head to the side as they walked, listening to the people around him.

"There are some, but their pain isn't as strong as yours right now," He answered. "Twisting, hurting, heart. Maker, does he hate me?"

She shot him a look, "I'm fine, Cole."

He nodded, "I will leave you alone then. Solas… is he the elf?"

Rosalina smiled gratefully, "Yes. He's the elf. The bald one."

"And you want me to see him?"

She nodded.

He smiled, "Then I will go."

Rosalina smiled sadly as she watched him go, wondering how much trouble this was going to cause her. She shook her head sternly, it didn't matter if it cost her everything, she would not abandon the spirit just because people didn't understand him, she was raised better than that. She sighed heavily even so, wondering if keeping Cole would cost her Cullen. She sat down on her bed, thinking a nice bath and some sleep would help, even if the bath houses were a little below her standards. Grabbing her clean pair of clothes she headed toward the door, only to find Cullen standing there, fist poised to knock.

"Oh, hello," She said, quietly. "I wasn't expecting company."

From the tone in her voice one could interpret that she meant she wasn't expecting _him. _He rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"I can come back at a later time, I didn't realize you were leaving."

Rosalina shot him a quick smile, "It's alright, I was just going to bathe, but that can wait if you need me for something."

"I just, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. While I may not approve of Cole, my reaction was uncalled for. I should not judge one spirit because of the behavior of others in the past."

"In the past?"

He shook his head, grinning ruefully, "It was a long time ago, and I would prefer not to talk about it."

Rosalina nodded, "Of course."

She stepped back into the room and opened the door.

"Would you like tea? I'm not an expert brewer, but it's drinkable."

He smiled that smile that caused her to catch her breath and nodded, "I would like that."

She grinned back, before shutting the door behind him.


	8. Haven Part 1

Rosalina stared at the army of mages headed her way. To think only a few moments ago they were celebrating the close of the Breach and she had been certain that Cullen was headed her way to ask for a dance when the alarm had sounded. She had exchanged a worried glance with Cassandra as they raced to the gates to hear what was wrong.

"Under what banner?" Josephine demanded.

"None," Cullen replied, barely glancing at her as he tried to formulate a plan.

"None?" Josephine's surprise echoed in them all.

Rosalina stepped back from the gates as they trembled under the weight of the blows that were struck to them.

"If someone could open this I'd appreciate it greatly," A voice called from the other side.

Relief swept through her, knowing it wasn't the army arriving already and hurried to swing open the gate.

A man knelt on the ground, staff in hand. Rosalina did a quick study of him. He looked exhausted, but unharmed, and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Ah, I'm here to warn you, fashionably late I'm afraid," The man swayed on his feet and Cullen rushed to aid him.

"Might exhausted, don't mind me," He explained, pushing Cullen away. "My name is Dorian Pauvas and I bring grave news from Redcliffe. An army of rebel mages right behind me. They are under the command of the Venatori, in service to something called the Elder One. The woman is Calpernia; she commands the Venatori."

"That is the Elder One," He pointed up toward the mountain where the forementioned woman stood with what Rosalina could only assume was a demon at her side. A demon unlike any she had seen before. "They were already marching on Haven. I risked my life to get here first."

Rosalina turned to Cullen, hoping beyond hope he would know what to do.

"Cullen give me a plan, anything," She said, desperately.

"Haven is no fortress. If we are to withstand this monster we must control the battle. Get out there and hit that force with everything you can," He said to her.

She didn't hear the rest of what he said, she was already off dividing her group into smaller groups to aid where they would be most needed.

"Vivienne, Blackwall, Varric, Sera - you four take the right. Make sure no one's getting in that way, help get the villagers and guests to the Chantry. Solas, Bull, Cassandra - with me," Rosalina explained hurridly. They nodded and the first group hurried off. Cole stepped forward and Rosalina sighed, she had forgotten Cole. Again.

"Where do you want me?" He asked.

"Go with Cullen, help anywhere you can," She answered, her eyes twinkling. "I've seen you with those blades. Do what you need to, but keep anyone you can safe."

He nodded and rushed off without an answer.

She lead her group through the fighting, heading straight for the trebuchets. If she could get those firing she knew Cullen and the soldiers might actually have a fighting chance. Maker, she hoped so, or all might actually be lost for them. She shook her head grimly, clearing her mind of those thoughts. There was no option for failure and she would not allow herself to even think of it.


	9. Haven Part 2

Rosalina shifted uncomfortably, opening her eyes to darkness. She moaned, wondering where she was for a moment before everything came rushing back to her.

She had gotten the trebuchets firing just fine but then the dragon had swooped down from nowhere, breathing that strange red lyrium on everything. She had led her group back toward the gates, fighting for everywhere step of the way. Cullen had been there to close the gates behind her and for a moment she was angry that he had not gotten himself to safety before she felt grateful toward him for staying behind for her.

The mages had come from every direction and she had insisted on saving as many villagers as possible, always moving in the direction of the Chantry. Haven wasn't a large place, nor was it very fortified so it was a quick sweep for her group. She had felt tears gathering when she had saved Adan just to watch Minaeve burn up before she could reach her, then the anger had come, burning away her sorrow. The Elder One would pay for this.

Reaching the Chantry she had almost collapsed in Cullen's arms, but she could see the desperation in his eyes and she knew without asking that he was thinking this was the end. She had refused to believe it, insisting that there had to be a way for at least some of them to escape. That was when Roderick had spoken up. Roderick, who had insisted she killed the Divine. Roderick, who despised her for just being.

"There is a path," He started. Quickly he outlined how to get there, gasping for breath every few moments. Rosalina felt all of her hatred for the man fade away, turning into compassion and understanding. He was just another victim. Someone who had seen her as a threat simply because she could not explain what had happened. He had just been concerned for his religious family. She understood that.

"Will it work?" She asked Cullen.

"It might, but what about you?" Cullen asked.

Rosalina looked away, knowing that she would more than likely be lost. She shuddered, but kept her mouth shut.

Cullen had quickly given out orders, then turned back her.

"They'll load the trebuchets. Keep the Elder Ones attention until we're above the tree line," She turned to leave when he stopped her with his next words.

"If we are to have a chance - if _you_ are to have a chance - Let that thing hear you."

Bull and Cassandra stood, hearing his words.

"Not without us." Cassandra said, glaring down at Rosalina. Bull nodded his agreement.

Vivienne turned, "Or me, my dear."

She smiled softly at her friends, "This is my fight."

Bull nodded, "Just as it is ours."

She sighed, knowing she would never be able to talk them out of it, nor did she have the time to try.

"Alright, but when I tell you to fall back - fall back!" She replied, swinging open the chantry doors.

From that moment on her life became a blur of fighting, forcing herself to move toward the trebuchet despite the fact that she was getting weary, her daggers starting to feel like lead as she killed one opponent just to be confronted by another. Frustrated, she ducked as Bull swung his axe above her head, killing multiple enemies with one blow.

"Boss," He looked down at her small form in concern and she shook her head.

"Don't worry about me Bull. I will do what I have to."

He nodded, but the worried look remained on his face.

She shifted, once again forcing the wheel on the trebuchet to turn it toward her goal, then sighed in relief as it finally turned at the angle she had so desperately wanted. The Dragon had appeared then and Rosalina's eyes had widened in disbelieve.

"Move, Now!"

No one argued with her, they all fell back and none of them had noticed when she had fallen, hitting her eyes on the ground. At first the fall had been deliberate, to do what she could to stop the dragon, but then as the blow back from it's breath hit her, she felt herself actually fall.

No, She thought. Not yet.

Then the Elder One had appeared from, somewhere, and looked directly at her.

"Pretender, you toy with forces beyond your Ken. No More."

_Well, your Ken can kiss my ass_, She thought.

Out load she replied, "Whatever you are I'm not afraid."

"Words mortals often hurl at the darkness. Once they were mine. They are always lies. Know me. Know what you have pretended to be. Exalt the Elder One. The _will_ that is Corypheus! You will kneel."

"You'll get nothing out of me," Rosalina had yelled back, steeling herself from the fear she secretly felt.

"You will resist. You will always resist. It matters not. I am here for the anchor. The process of removing it begins now."

The orb in his hand had lit up, and she had felt her hand pull toward it. It had felt like someone was trying to rip the bones out of her skin, but she had bitten back the pain, trying to keep herself from passing out. She remembered him picking her up, trying to understand why it wouldn't work, then flinging her out onto the trebuchet in disgust.

Then she recalled he had tried telling her something, but her brain had been hazy from the pain and all she could focus on was the sword one of the soldiers had lost. She had picked it up, intending to use it as a weapon, though she had no training in that area. It was then she had seen the signal that she had been waiting for. Without thought she turned back toward the monster in front of her.

"Your arrogance blinds you. Good to know. If I'm dying - it's not today" She had replied, smirking slightly as she turned and kicked the arm that held the line to the trebuchet in place, firing it at the mountain. She had run then, but turned just in time to see the dragon and his master fly off into the night.

She groaned again as she shook her head. Now here she was, still alive, and with no idea of where the rest of her group had gone off to.

_Well, first things first_, She thought. _Find Cullen._

**AN: YAY longer chapter. I'm feeling more adventurous of late so don't mind my little bit of sass late in this chapter. Every time I hear that like about "Forces beyond your ken" I yell Rosalina's thought at the TV. Glad I finally got to use it in the story!**


	10. Reconnecting

Rosalina felt like she had been wandering through the snow for days. In reality it had probably only been hours, but she had no way of telling with the way the blizzard raged around her. Not for the first time she wished she had inherited some magic ability so that she could calm the wind and snow that ripped around her. She longed for warmth, or, at the very least, visibility.

She had almost blacked out a few times, but the howl of wolves kept her going. She gripped the daggers that had somehow survived her fall, turning warily to make sure that the animals were at least outside of her sight line. It didn't make her feel much better since she couldn't see far ahead, but at least she could not see their shapes and shadows moving through the snow around her.

Something glowed slightly ahead of her and she struggled toward it.

"Embers," She said softly, they were still slightly warm so she wondered just how far ahead of her the rest of Haven was. If it was even their campsite. She prayed it was as she struggled forward.

Her legs were starting to trembling and she could feel her knees wanting to lock. She struggled to keep moving, annoyed at her body for wanting to give up when she felt that she was so close. Shadows began to move forward and she sighed wearily. There was no way she was going to be able to fight whatever was coming toward her. She felt her legs give out at that moment and looked at them, bemused and slightly detached.

Well, at least whatever kills me will get a good meal out of me, She thought, her mind already slowly starting to shut itself down.

The last words she remembered hearing were a shout from a familiar voice, then more familiar - Cassandra's voice praising the Maker. Then her world went black.

Rosalina woke to shouting, she struggled to recall what had happened while half-listening to the argument between her so called advisors as it grew more heated. She shook her head, and turned to see Mother Giselle sitting beside her. She grimaced not ready to talk religion with the Mother.

"They've been at it for hours," She meant it to come out a question, but she could tell from the Mother's face that she would have been right anyway.

"They have that luxury, thanks to you."

"Well, the only thing yelling gets us is a headache," She answered, feeling waspish for some reason.

She stood and strode to her tent flap, watching as the arguing broke off and the group went in separate directions. She wanted to go and comfort them all, to tell them it was okay they were scared, but they needed to argue in a less public place. Before she could move Mother Giselle had strode past her, singing softly.

She was surprised when Liliana lifted her head and started to sing along after the second verse. Though the song was old and well-known, she honestly hadn't given much credit to religion or the affect the song could have on people. By the third verse Cullen's voice chimed in, a pleasant sound that she was even more surprised to find herself enjoying. Soon most of the camp was singing along as she watched in stunned amazement. With one song the Mother had brought the camp together. She was even more surprised when they began to kneel or bow before her.

She looked around, her eyes meeting Solas's and she was grateful when he asked to speak to her. She was too overwhelmed to deal with much else at the moment so a break from all the people would be good.

She stood next to him as he explained the problem he found them facing, the elves in particular. She agreed that it was probably for the best that others did not know about the orbs origin just yet. She also understood his concern. When he started to tell her about Skyhold she was surprised he knew of such a place and for a moment she wondered why he didn't mention it sooner, but she kept silent. Solas was a constant mystery to her and she had given up trying to figure him out months ago. Instead she followed his words and lead her people to the fortress he called Skyhold.


	11. First Kiss

**AN: I know I've been bad about updating. I'm sorry.**

Rosalina should have suspect that something was up the moment she stepped out into the sunlight. She watched as her advisors, who just moments ago had been consulting - almost arguing it seemed- dispersed as soon as they caught sight of her. She narrowed her eyes, wondering why the sight of her would cause them all to retreat. Well, everyone except Cassandra who asked her to walk around the battlements with her. Rosalina only half listened as Cassandra expressed her gratitude and started to tell her that she was someone the people would follow. That's when she noticed Leliana standing there, sword laying across her arms, and Rosalina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You guys planned this didn't you?" She demanded.

Cassandra smiled guiltily. "Does that mean you accept?"

Rosalina looked at her friend, then away, directly into the eyes of Cullen and the crowd that had gathered around the feet of the stairs. She blushed, wanting to push the sword away from and break out in a run. She knew, however, that would not be good for morale at all. She sighed, taking the sword.

"I'll do this, because it needs to be done."

The cheers from below caught her attention and she lifted the sword in the air, smiling down at her people. Inside she felt her heart drop. How would she ever be able to approach Cullen now?

She was surprised over the course of the weeks they worked, how much time she actually did see Cullen. If they weren't at a war counsel together, they were having lunch, or he was giving her update reports on the various activities of his men. Granted, they didn't see each other _all_ the time - after all they both had other duties to preform but Rosalina wasn't complaining. She was getting to know the Commander a little at a time, and what she was seeing of him was making her fall in love with him a little more each day.

It came as no surprise then, when she finally decided that she had to make the first move. They had been flirting for the last few months, dancing around each other. Well, really she had been flirting while he had been blushing and doing his best to flirt back. She thought it was adorable how innocent he was. She knew, however, that at this rate Corypheus would be defeated on they would be reliving their glory days before he made a move.

Squaring her shoulders she walked into his office like she owned the place. Just like she'd been doing for the last - however long they'd been at this. She smiled, watching him as he organized his few books. Normally people knocked before entering his office, so he was usually lost in thought or a task when she walked in. After a few moments of admiring the view, she shifted loud enough that she knew he would hear her. He whirled around and a grin ran across his face upon seeing her before he could get his facial features under control again.

"Inquisitor," He said, bowing slightly.

She glared at him before sitting on the edge of his desk.

"Cullen," She said, sweetly. "Didn't we agree no titles?"

He laughed softly, blushing. "Sorry, Rosalina."

"You could always call me Rose. Or Lina. Hell, even Rosie would be okay."

He shook his head, "Rosalina, Inquisitor, or my lady. You pick."

She grinned playfully, "I like my lady."

He smiled back and she melted a little inside. She loved that smirk more than anything in the world. Well, except maybe food - food was pretty great after all.

"Did you need something, my lady?" He asked after a moments hesitation.

"Is there somewhere we could talk? Privately?" She asked, swinging her feet gently.

He nodded and opened the door with a gesture for her to go first.

They walked the battlements for a few moments in silence. Now that she found herself here, she found she was nervous after all. To think just a few moments she had boldly entered his office, determined to make her intentions known. Now here she was, alone, with the man she desired and she couldn't even string a sentence together.

"Lovely weather," Cullen said after a few more minutes, scratching his neck.

"What?" Rosalina looked up sharply. "Oh, yeah. Nice."

Cullen looked at her in concern, "There was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

She breathed deeply, "I find myself thinking of you - more than - well, all the time really."

There it was out in the open now. He knew how she felt for good or for ill.

"I can't say I haven't wondered what it would be like," He began as he started walking again.

She felt panic start to set in as she followed him. _He's rejecting me. Of course_. She thought numbly.

"What's stopping you?" She finally asked.

"You're the Inquisitor, we're at war and you - I didn't think it possible," He finally answered, turning to face her.

"And yet I'm still here," She teased, hoping to break some of the tension that was growing between them.

"And so you are. It seems too much to ask, but I want to."

She felt her insides light up as he leaned toward her, his lips only inches from hers. This was what she had been hoping for. What she wanted, and she felt her body almost tremble at his nearness.

"Commander." A voice broke through the moment and Rosalina almost groaned out load with frustration. "You wanted a copy of Sister Leliana's report."

"_What_," Cullen growled and she almost giggled, seeing him as frustrated as she was by the interruption.

"Sister Leliana's report. You wanted it delivered without delay." The scout said, finally looking up. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the irritation in Cullen's eyes, then Rosalina standing behind him. "Or to your office... right..."

He backed up quickly, almost running.

"If you need to-"

Whatever Rosalina was about to say slipped her mind as Cullen fiercely pressed his lips to hers. Their tongues battled for dominance for a moment before he pulled away from her, smirking slightly at her flushed face.

"Well -"

"I'll see you again later,_ my lady_," He smirked knowingly before swaggering off.

She watched him go. Yep, there was definitely swagger in those steps as he walked away.


	12. Dress vs Uniform

The next few days were busy for Rosalina as she started re-learning about life at Court. Leliana helped her with clothes while Josephine refreshed her etiquette, manners, speech patterns, and so much more. She sighed as she once again struggled to walk in the heels the spymaster had bought her.

"Is this_ really_ necessary?" Rosalina demanded, tripping once again.

Leliana helped her up, nodding, "Did you never wear shoes when you went out living with your parents?"

"Of course I wore shoes," Rosalina replied. "Normally, though they were simple flats. Nothing as extravagant as these are."

Leliana frowned, "These aren't that extravagant. These are dull compared to what you will be wearing to the ball."

Rosalina's eyes widened, "No, no, no. I thought these shoes were the ones I was going to wear to the ball."

Leliana laughed, "Not with the dress we have for you - they would clash something awful."

Rosalina sighed, "Well, let's see."

"The dress or the shoes?"

"Both."

Josephine stood from the bed she had been sitting on and strode over to Rosalina's closet, pulling out a shoe box and a dress wrapped in paper. Carefully she unwrapped the dress while Leliana pulled out the shoes. The shoes were a ridiculous pair of purple heels that tapered to a point with glittering diamonds and amethyst set into them. The toes were open with white feathers attached. Rosalina felt her heart plummet, there was no way she was going to be able to wear those. She turned and surveyed the dress - which was breathtaking.

The same deep purple as the shoes the dress was just as ridiculous, but also beautiful. Rosalina would kill herself in those shoes in order to wear it. The bodice was a lighter shade than the rest of the dress, but just enough that it wasn't overly noticeable - with silver lace covering the top. Small diamonds were inlaid in the boning, so that whenever she would turn in it the light would catch, making her look like she was sparkling no matter where she turned. The skirt was made of chiffon with silver netting layered over it. Rosalina had to bite her lip to keep from squealing in delight as she fingered the sleeveless dress.

"I love it," She whispered, then frowned. "But do I have to wear the shoes?"

The girls laughed as she held the dress in front of her, adoring it completely.

"Yes you have to wear the shoes," They answered.

She sighed, "They're not practical. What if I have to chase down the assassin - I would trip in a few seconds flat. Besides, the ball is only weeks away and I still can't even walk in the other shoes."

"Well," Josephine looked over at the Inquisitor sheepishly. "We do have another option."

"We do?" Rosalina asked, eagerly while Leliana groaned.

"Josie, you promised not to mention it unless it was clear that she would need it," Leliana whined.

Josephine looked at her best friend with a smile, "And she is going to need it. As she stated, we are not going to get her to walk in those heels before the ball."

"Then can't we just get her different shoes?"

"At this late an hour? The shoes are all sold and hiring someone to make her _another_ unique pair is going to cost us more than we have."

"What's the other option?" Rosalina asked again.

Josephine pulled out what appeared to be an officer's uniform, black with gold trimming and matching pants. A silver sash hung beside it to wear with black boots to wear with it.

"This is what everyone else will be wearing," Josephine said, holding it up. "We wanted you to have something different because you are the Inquisitor and therefore the face of the Inquisition, but if you need to you can also wear it. It wouldn't be as good as the dress, but it would be more practical."

Rosalina was torn, she loved the dress, but the uniform screaming practicality and she knew that it would be the smarter choice in the long run. On a different note, she also didn't want to hurt the feelings of either of her advisors, who were obviously at odds about this.

"You don't have to decide right now," Josephine reassured her, seemingly to see that she was torn. "We'll keep practicing with the heels and see if it improves - we still have some time after all."

Rosalina was exhausted when they finished a few hours later. She had everything down except the shoes, which frustrated her to no end. Why could she recall the names of the all the Countesses and Dukes, but she couldn't wear a simple pair of heels. She flopped into a chair in Cullen's office, waiting for him to finish his paperwork. He looked up, grinning.

"Bad day?"

"I saw my dress."

"And?"

"I_ love_ it, but the shoes Leliana picked out are ridiculous. There is no way I'm going to be able to walk in them before the ball."

"And?"

"Josephine wants me to wear the uniform. It's ... nice, but after seeing the dress..." Rosalina trailed off, imagining herself in the dress, knowing how great she would look in it.

"You don't want to wear the uniform." Cullen stated.

Rosalina looked up, surprised that he had really been listening. Having mostly brothers, she was used to complaining about something and then working it out while they only half listened to her.

"I really don't," She said ruefully.

He grinned, "Well, then, let's get you walking in those heels."

**AN: I realize that the formal attire looks nothing like I described, but the attire was ugly. So I decided to use creative license and change the colors.**


	13. Cinderella

Rosalina sighed as she dressed for the ball, looking longingly at the beautiful dress she had hanging in the closet. Even with Cullen's help she could only take baby steps in the practice heels and the heels she was supposed to wear she could barely stand in. Now here she was, putting on a formal uniform that she would have liked better if she'd never seen the dress. She fiddled with her sash impatiently as Josephine giggled from behind her.

"Don't worry," She reassured. "I'm sure we'll find another time when you can wear the dress."

Rosalina sighed, "But it's so beautiful and the workers took so much time to make it so beautiful but here it has to sit with no one to wear it."

Josephine and Leliana exchanged a look before sighing.

"Alright, put the dress on," Josephine gave in.

Rosalina whirled looking at her advisors in confusion.

"But I can't wear the shoes to go with it."

Leliana shrugged, "No one is going to see the shoes anyway - put the dress on and wear the boots for the uniform underneath. No one is going to know but the three of us."

Rosalina smiled and skipped over to the dress, taking it off its hanger lovingly as she shucked off the formal attire.

Josephine cleared her throat after a moment.

"Actually," She smiled sheepishly at the two. "I had expect something like this might happen so..."

She trailed off as she dug under the Inquisitor's bed and pulled out another shoe box and handed it to Rosalina. This one was smaller than the one that held her outrageous shoes and in a plainer box.

"I know they're not as pretty, but I expect you to be able to walk in these anyway."

Rosalina lifted the lid to see a pair of delicate silver flats laying inside with little amethysts decorating them. She gasped and lifted them up lovingly.

"They're darling," She grinned at the Ambassador as she slipped them on her feet. "Where did you get them so late in the game?"

Josephine grinned, "They used to be mine actually, but I haven't worn them in years. I remembered them when I saw how much you loved that dress but not the shoes."

Rosalina hugged her, careful not to wrinkle either of their outfits and Leliana beamed, delighted.

"Now you look like the face of the Inquisition," She declared as she finished lacing up the corset.

Rosalina smiled at the two as a knock sounded at the door.

Leliana smiled mischievously, "And now you're escort has arrived. Come on Josie, we have to let him see her for the first time without us in the way."

Rosalina blinked as she watched the two hurry down the stairs, greeting someone as the flung open the door. She picked up her skirt a little so she wouldn't trip on it and hurried over to see who they had decided was going to be her escort for tonight.

She smiled down at the man with a mass of blonde curls waiting for her and he blushed, looking at her in awe as she hurried down the steps to him.

"You look good," She smiled up at him as she took his arm.

"And you look _amazing_," He whispered, still blushing.

She blushed in return to her dismay as he helped her into the carriage.

"Save me a dance?" He asked as he started closing the door.

"Of course," She replied, grinning.

He walked off to get into his own carriage and she turned to see who was in the carriage with her. Dorian sat beside her, grinning at her face and across from her sat Varric, who was studiously trying to ignore anything that was happening between her and Cullen. She looked around for the last member of her party for a moment, bewildered before Cole materialized next to Varric.

"Sorry I'm late," He said, grinning. "I had to help a little girl first."

Rosalina grinned back, "It's alright, I only just arrived myself."

**AN: Okay, okay, before the tomatoes start - I know she doesn't wear that in the game. But like I said. I just cannot put her in a uniform. It's a ball, the belle of it should definitely look amazing.**


	14. A Damper on the Night

Rosalina danced around her room, still in her dress though she had lost the slippers long ago. She hummed as she did, feeling relatively good about everything. She had made a friend - or maybe just an ally- in Morrigan. She had uncovered the assassination attempt and found the person responsible. She managed to capture Florian and not kill her. Gaspard, Briala, and Celene were currently working together for the good of the nation. And Cullen had danced with her. Not just a polite little jaunt either, but a _real_ dance with sweeping skirts and twirling.

She grinned foolishly as she hummed. Part of her knew that she was being ridiculous and dancing with Cullen was not anywhere_ near_ as important as her other accomplishments the night had held. The other part of her told that part to shut up because Cullen was more important to her than anyone else that had been there. She was still twirling around when she heard the knock at her door. She frowned at it, wondering who could possibly want to disturb her. She brightened immediately however when she remember most of her companions and all of her advisors were asleep.

"Come in," She called brightly, as she finally sat to remove her corset and then her dress.

"In-Inquisitor," The voice startled her and she looked up into Cullen's blushing face.

"Hello Cullen," She said cheerfully.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were getting ready for bed."

She waved it off, "It's fine. Can you help me with the lacing on this. I'm afraid my arms aren't long enough and I really don't want to have to wake Mira for a simple corset."

Mira was the serving that had been assigned to her when she had moved up into the tower, but Rosalina viewed her more as a friend now. She knew that she would be here in an instant if Rosalina summoned her, but she hated to do that. Instead she turned and pointed to the lacings.

Cullen reacted instinctively and pulled her close, gently tugging at the lacings.

"I wasn't aware that you knew how to do lacings," Rosalina teased after a moment. "I figured I would have to guide you step by step."

He chuckled softly and reminded her, "Older sister remember? Mia was always having me help her with her clothes."

They fell into a comfortable silence and Rosalina marveled at the fact that they could be comfortable together in the quiet. She glowed with happiness at the thought. After a few moments, Rosalina remembered that he had knocked on her door.

"Was there something you needed?" She asked, recalling the knock.

Cullen startled as he finished unlacing her corset. He'd been so focus on how comfortable around her he was that he had forgotten he'd come here for a reason. He hung his head a little as she turned to face him, not wanting to ruin the moment with the news he had for her.

"Yes, though I'm afraid it's going to put a damper on tonight's festivities," He cautioned.

She smiled, touching his cheek lovingly, "Nothing could damper tonight - what is it?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in that signature gesture that indicated he was uncomfortable.

"We have reports of increased Ventori activity in the Western Approach."

She sighed with him, "Right. Well, give the crew a couple days rest. Just enough time to recuperate, then we'll head out. I'll want to take Cassandra, Blackwall, and Dorian this time, please let them know."

Cullen nodded, turning to go. She laughed, "Where are you going?"

"To tell them," He said, bewildered.

"_In the morning_," She laughed again, pulling him closer to her. "Tonight, you stay with me."


	15. Hawke

Rosalina sat in her camp two weeks later longing to be back home with Cullen's arms wrapped around her. She watched as those around her fell into their normal routine. Cassandra polished her sword, trying not to listen as Dorian and Varric exchanged stories - some of which were definitely not appropriate. Rosalina grinned, she loved this time, watching as everyone relaxed for the first time since they woke. They only had a few more days and they would be home. She was thankful that the business in the Western Approach was easy to take care. She wanted to get back to Skyhold, take a nice bath, and then head for Crestwood.

She had been surprised to see Amelia Hawke, but thankful. She had known that Varric knew the mage, but hadn't really expected to meet the Champion herself. Seeing Hawke standing there in the sunlight, a soft grin playing on her face, Rosalina had felt more hopeful than she had since being named Inquisitor. She had almost run up the stairs in her haste to meet the Champion.

"So you're the infamous Rosalina Trevelyan?" Amelia had teased, winking at the blonde.

"And you must be the infamous Amelia Hawke," Rosalina had grinned, immediately taking a liking to the brunette in front of her.

"That I am," Amelia had bowed with a flourish, still grinning, then leaned over to Rosalina and whispered, "But don't tell _Fenris_ that I'm still infamous. He might get the urge to kill something or someone."

Rosalina giggled and agreed, "I'm sure I'll manage to keep that secret."

Hawke sat down and sighed, "Now to be serious - Varric said something about Corypheus and still being alive?"

She nodded, her face falling a little, "It seems he thinks he's a god."

Hawke snorted, "Right. A god - and I'm Andraste's sister."

Rosalina laughed.

They had agreed to meet in Crestwood after her meeting with Celene, then this had come up.

Rosalina sighed now, ready to get back on the road and see her friend. Which Hawke and her had quickly become, much to Varric's dismay and Cullen's surprise. Though they were similar in age and behavior, Hawke took nothing seriously while Rosalina tended to be on the serious side. Hawke was dismayed by Cole while Rosalina adored him. They were opposite just enough that their personalities blended well together.

"Rosie," Varric grinned, sitting beside the rogue. "Anxious to get back home?"

She grinned back, "Surprisingly yes."

"Not that surprising since you've been missing Cullen since you walked out of Skyhold's grounds."

She laughed, "Actually I was just thinking I would like to see a mutual friend of ours again. I'm surprised but I actually miss her carefree attitude. That and the fact we should really have headed out for Crestwood already."

Varric paled ever so slightly, "I remember last time you two got together. It seemed it went something around the lines of getting Sera and going on a pranking spree."

Rosalina laughed outright, remembering that day with fondness, "I promise we'll behave this time Varric."

He eyed her suspiciously, "Somehow, I don't believe that one bit."

She rolled her eyes at the dwarf, standing and stretching.

"Believe what you would like Varric," She taunted a little. "I have to go get some beauty sleep. We leave at first light."

"In a hurry to get home?" Dorian teased as she walked past him.

"More than you know," She smiled, ducking into her tent.

Varric and Dorian shared grins. Rosalina could claim missing Hawke all she wanted, she could even claim that they needed to go to Crestwood to meet up with Hawke's friend there, but everyone in the camp knew that the real reason that she wanted to get back to Skyhold was to see a certain blonde Commander.


	16. Crestwood

A week later they were in Crestwood. Her group had been surprised when Rosalina had stopped only to rest and pick up supplies at Skyhold and then they were off again. This time she took Solas, Varric, and Blackwall - an unusual group for her, but no one protested her choice. She looked around, hoping something would serve as a marker for the crazy map that Hawke had drawn her.

"Varric, can you read this?" She finally asked.

Varric laughed as he looked at it, "Sorry Rosie, Hawke's maps have always confused me. I think the only ones who ever understood them were Aveline, Isabel, and Fenris. And that was only _some_ of the time."

Rosalina looked at the paper mournfully, "I guess we're going to have to try to find it on our own."

Varric grinned as he looked at the map again.

"Try going South and then West. That seems to be roughly where her giant arrow is scribbled at."

Rosalina nodded and started in that direction, hoping he was right.

* * *

A few hours later they were making progress. At least some of the landmarks were starting to match Hawke's scribbles, or maybe Rosalina was just starting to understand the mage's thinking, either way they were making progress.

"Is that the cave up ahead?" Blackwall asked, pointing down at what appeared to be a gap in the side of a hill. Rosalina grinned, handing her pack to the Warden.

"One way to find out," She replied, running quickly down the side of the slope.

The trio watched her, groaning as she slid and skidded down the last few feet. Rosalina could be reckless at time and they all knew that one day they were going to have to go back to Skyhold and report to Cullen that she had fallen and hurt herself pretty bad. There was an ongoing bet on who was going to be the one to face his wrath when that day came. Watching now, they all prayed that today was not that day.

"Come on down," She yelled from the bottom of the hill. They all looked at her incredulously as they started down a gentler path.

"You realize there's a path right here, Rosie?" Varric asked, taunting her a little bit.

She grinned back as they drew up beside her, her blonde hair wiping around her face. She pushed it back, still grinning like crazy.

"Yes, there was a path, but it was much more fun to just slide down the hill," She replied, leading the way toward the cave.

The boys rolled their eyes behind her back and Varric let out a little groan.

"If I would have known that you were just like Amelia I would have run the other way when we met," He only half-teased.

She turned, winking at him, "No way. I'm much prettier than Amelia."

She turned back to notice the Champion standing within hearing distance now, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she waited.

"No way you're prettier than me," She called down to the Inquisitor.

"Wanna bet?" Rosalina teased as she hugged the woman.

"No bets," The Champion replied. "Stroud should be through here. He said he was holed up here waiting for the other Grey Wardens to leave."

Rosalina nodded, leading the way in. She looked around in surprised when, a few moments later, they entered a roomy cave. Take away the fact that it was underground and dirty (obviously) and it could have been a room back in Skyhold with how roomy and nice it was. She looked around, forgetting all about the Grey Warden for a moment as she studied the place.

That is, until she turned to find a sword pointed at her throat, a pair of angry eyes glaring at her from the other end.


	17. Closer

"It's just us, Stroud," Hawke said, holding up her hands to show that they were no threat.

He lowered his sword and rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Apologies," He said, looking sheepishly at Rosalina.

She waved them off, "Tell me about what's going on."

Stroud proceeded to tell them everything that had happened with the Grey Wardens, causing Rosalina and Amelia to look at each other in alarm. When he finished Rosalina looked grim, and looking at her party they must have felt the same way she did.

"Looks like we're going to Adament," She sighed wearily.

Her companions nodded in agreement, none of them voicing the concerns they had about going. She sighed, looking back to Stroud and Amelia.

"I'll see you guys back at Skyhold. We'll need to formulate a plan," Rosalina nodded, heading back out into the sunlight.

"Well, things could be worse," Varric sighed when they finally existed the cave.

Rosalina shot him a look, "Don't say that. A dragon or something might come swooping down at us."

Varric chuckled, but she could tell he was thinking about that with concern.

* * *

Later, when they were back at Skyhold, Rosalina hurried into Cullen's room, slamming the door behind her. He looked up in surprise, to see the anxiety on her face. Pushing away the papers he was going over, he patted the chair next to him.

"Tell me about it," He said as she sat next to him, burying her face into his shoulder.

She inhaled his scent - warmth, pine, and something that was distinctly Cullen - and felt a little calmer.

"It's so much worse than we imagined," She whispered as he stroke her hair.

"Talk to me," He whispered back, holding her.

So she did. She told him everything Stroud and told her, everything she had felt at the time, and everything that she was feeling now.

"What if we can't save the wardens?" She asked when she had finished.

He pulled her away from him, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Don't say that. We'll find a way. _You'll_ find a way."

She smiled weakly, "You always have such faith in me when I don't even have that faith in myself."

He smiled back, "Because you always find a way. You're the most amazing person I've ever met."

She blushed a little, surprised at his words, before she leaned forward, kissing him deeply.

The kiss soon turned into something else entirely as he deepened it, pulling her into his lap. She grinned against his lips and felt his answering his smile as he ran his hands down her back. Tongues swirled around each other and teeth clashed together like they do when the kisses are deep and the couple are still new to the experience. Her fingers tightened in his hair as she pressed against him, his hands sliding under her shirt, feeling the silkiness of her skin.

She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her closer to him. They stayed like this for a while, mouths and bodies pressed against each other in an eternity of pleasure, until they had to pull away, gasping for air.

"Perhaps, perhaps I should brief the others about it," She whispered, her voice shaking.

He looked at her in alarm, "About... _this_?"

She giggled, feeling a little better as she climbed off him, "No silly, about what happened in Crestwood."

"Oh, right, yes, you should, you should probably do that," He said, flushing. "I'll be along... in a few minutes."

She felt a sense of satisfaction when she looked down and noticed the bulge in his pants.

"Yes, perhaps it's best if you wait a few moments. Don't want anyone getting the wrong idea after all," She teased, kissing him lightly before skipping out of his office.

She tried to push the grin off her face as she headed toward Leliana's office. This was serious and not something to be told while grinning, Leliana would definitely suspect that something was up. However, no matter how hard she tried to get back into the solemn mood she had been in, she couldn't help the feeling of elation every time she thought about how his lips had hungrily devoured her own. Nor could she suppress the grin that crossed her face every time she thought about it.

So lost in the clouds was she that she completely missed the look of confusion on Solas's face, and the look of smug knowingness on Dorian's, when she walked past them on her way to see the Spymaster.

* * *

**AN: YAY Fluffiness! :)**


	18. Into the Fade

Adamant was a nightmare for everyone, especially Rosalina. Demons fighting Wardens, Wardens fighting the Inquisition, Demons fighting the Inquisition, and Wardens fighting Warden. It killed her to see the destruction surrounding her, but she kept pressing forward dividing her group into squads that fought best together, taking Bull, Dorian, and Cassandra with her. She waved her thanks to Hawke every time the mage managed to save her, thankful that Amelia was on their side.

She reached the main room and paused, watching the Warden Commander, unable to believe what she was seeing. She was thankful when Clarel listened to reason and turned on Erimond, attacking him with all she had left. The Wardens turned as well, aiding the Inquisition as Rosalina ran up stair after stair, trying to catch up with Clarel and the dragon that Erimond had summoned.

She watched in dismay as the dragon picked Clarel up, shaking her around as if she was nothing more than a rag doll.

_There's no way we can kill that thing. What are we going to do?_ She thought in dismay as Clarel attacked the dragon once more.

Then, as the dragon fell, the building began to shake and Rosalina realized that the whole fortress was falling down around them.

She turned with wide eyes to her friends.

"Run, Run," She yelled, racing away from the edge.

She turned in time to see Stroud slip, hurrying back to him she grabbed a hold and pulled with all she could to get him up, but then everything under her collapsed and she felt herself falling through the air. Reaching out she did the only thing she could think of and created a rift for them to fall through.

When she came to she was surprised at the strange place she was in.

"What is this place?" She whispered, looking around.

She felt a sense of relief when she saw her companions standing and brushing themselves off. None of them seemed overly thrilled to be there but at least they were all unharmed.

Amelia made a face at Rosalina before replying, "I think this is the fade."

After some initial alarm and discussion they agreed it was best to move. Hopefully they would find a way out of there by moving toward the glowing rift they noticed coming from what felt like the other side of the fade.

They were all surprised by the spirit that greeted them only a little while later. She seemed to be Divine Justinia but none of them believed that it was actually her. Well, maybe Cassandra did, but no one else seemed to. She seemed to want to help, however, so no one argued with her when she told Rosalina that before she could leave the fade she would have to regain her memories of what had happened that day that she had fallen out of a rift and into the Inquisition.

Surprisingly, Rosalina only felt relief when she realized that she really didn't have anything to do with the Divines death. In fact it seemed that she had tried to stop it and then had been attacked by Corypheus when she had wound up in the fade with the Divine.

They progressed onward through the creepy place until they heard a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Rosalina shivered violently at the voice and did her best to ignore whatever he was saying. Then he started in on her friends and she wasn't scared any longer. Now she was angry. Perhaps he sensed that because he went quiet soon after that, leaving them to explore his world.

And explore they did. Every single nook and cranny it seemed like though often Rosalina just wanted to run and get out of the place that was secretly freaking her out. She was actually relieved when she saw the rift directly ahead. At least, she was until the giant ass spider thing got in her way. Justina's spirit attacked it, but that still left the Nightmare Demon for them to face.


	19. A Hard Decision

Rosalina was dismayed when, after defeating the Nightmare Demon, they looked up to see his pet was back. The group looked at each other in panic before both Hawke and Stroud volunteered to kill it, buying the group time to escape. Though no one said it, Rosalina knew that whoever she chose would not be returning with them. She closed her eyes, not wanting to chose either one. Part of her knew it was the right thing to do, otherwise they would all be dead. Another part of her wished that someone else had to make the decision.

"Stroud," She finally answered, without turning to look at them.

She felt Amelia's eyes resting heavily on her, but she didn't back down from her decision. She knew Hawke, had become close to the girl and she couldn't just let her die. Part of her knew that sacrificing Stroud would more than likely hurt the Wardens, but she couldn't bring herself to let Amelia die. Varric would never forgive her. Hell, she would never forgive herself.

They exited the fade to find themselves in the middle of a room full of Grey Wardens and Inquisition soldiers. She almost groaned out loud at that, now she would never get rid of the whole Herald of Andraste title. Physically walking out of the fade once, that could be faded over time, but twice. There was no way she was going to be able to let that one down.

She was just thankful it was over. Until she was asked what to do with the Grey Wardens. She opted to let them stay, to ally with the Inquisition. She had a feeling they were going to be fighting a lot more demons and darkspawn, and that was the Warden's area of expertise.

As they were packing up she saw Cullen, and her knees nearly buckled with relief. She hadn't even been aware that she had been worried about him until she saw him standing there, his hair ruffling in the breeze as he scanned the crowded area with concern. Once she gained control over her emotions she smiled playfully and bounded over to him.

"Excuse me sir," She whispered from behind him. "I seem to have lost something very important and I was hoping you could help me find it."

Cullen sighed, "What is I-"

He cut himself off when he saw her and enfolded her into his arms.

"Maker's breath Rosie, you jumped into a rift and scared me half to death," He whispered.

She grinned up at him, "But here I am now and tired but none the worse for wear. A little sad too, but that's to be expected when you lose a fine Warden like Stroud."

He nodded, "I have to go, but I want to see you when we get back to Skyhold."

She smirked, "When don't you?"

He blushed and hurried away, presumably to help the soldiers.

* * *

Rosalina sighed with relief when they finally made it back to Skyhold. She had no idea how much she'd missed her bed until she finally crawled into it after debriefing her advisors on what had happened. She knew that Leliana was stunned to hear the news about the Divine's death and her spirit in the fade, Josephine, she was sure, was trying to figure out the best spin to put on the story, and Cullen - she grinned there, thinking of her boyfriend - was probably trying to take what information he could to devise a plan of attack somewhere.

Right now, however, all Rosalina cared about was getting some sleep. She snuggled in wondering when the last time she had felt so comfortable going to sleep was. So tired was she that she completely missed the knock on her door and Cullen's soft smile when he saw her lying in bed, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open as she drifted into the dream world.


	20. Good Luck Charm

Rosalina stretched, grinning slightly at the feel of a soft mattress underneath her. She felt she had done some good in this world, and that always made her feel cheerful. She stood, looking out at the breath-taking view her room held. Sure, it might get a little chilly when the fire died down but she had plenty of blankets while she slept and she loved getting up to see the sun just starting to peak over the mountains. She had decided last night that tonight she was going to tell Cullen the truth about her feeling. She was going to tell him that she loved him.

She sighed heavily, first she was going to have to made the rounds and check on the soldiers and her group. That part she hated. She hated seeing the wounded and the dying, it made her sad and angry all at once, but she refused to be a leader that her subjects only knew from afar. Gritting her teeth and trying to prepare herself for the horror that was ahead she left her room, heading for the infirmary.

She was surprised at how few soldiers were gravely injured. Most had cuts and bruises, some even had broken bones, but there were only a handful that had needed immediate medical attention. That was a relief to her, she hated the idea that people were dying for her. It was inevitable, her being the leader of the Inquisition, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She was going to have to remember to tell Cullen he was doing a great job at training the recruits.

Rosalina hurried up to Cullen's office after making her rounds, eager to see him. She grinned when she saw he was alone and skipped into his room, delighted when he immediately looked up and grinned back at her.

"There you are," He teased.

"Were you waiting for me?" She asked, startled, moving closer to him.

"Yes. I mean, no."

"Which is it?" She teased.

"There's something I wanted to ask you. We have some dealings in Ferelden and I was hoping you would accompany me, when you can spare the time, of course."

"Is something wrong?" She asked, slightly alarmed by his tone.

"What?" He asked, startled, then realizing how he must sound. "No, I would rather explain there. If you wish to go."

"I believe there's time now."

"I will make the necessary arrangements."

Rosalina was surprised at Cullen's formal behavior, but didn't say anything as they rode out of the gates. She rode Caspian - her favorite red hart - and he rode Igen - his horse - in complete silence. Cullen seemed to be deep in thought and Rosalina was actually a little afraid to interrupt those thoughts, wondering what could possibly be going through that lovely brain of his.

They finally stopped at a lake somewhere before they reached Redcliffe. Rosalina looked around in wonderment before asking the most obvious question.

"Where are we?"

"You walk into danger everyday," Cullen said, ignoring her question. "I wanted to take you away from that, if only for a moment. I grew up not far from here, this place was always quiet."

Rosalina smiled, picturing a little Cullen running around with a toy sword.

"Did you come here often?"

"I loved my siblings, but they were very loud. I would come here to clear my head. Of course, they always found me eventually." He chuckled at the thought.

"You were happy here," Rosalina said, smiling slightly.

"I was. I still am."

They fell silent for a moment as Cullen seemed lost in thought and Rosalina absorbed what he had told her so far. It was more than she usually could get out of him.

"The last day I was here was the day I left for Templar training," Cullen started, breaking the silence.

"My brother gave me this," He said, holding out a silver coin. "It just happened to be in his pocket, but he said it was for luck. Templars aren't supposed to carry such things, our_ faith_ should see us through."

"You broke the order's rules? I'm shocked," She teased, wondering where this was heading.

"Until a year ago I was very good at following them. Most of the time. This was the only thing I took from Ferelden that the Templars didn't give me. Humor me," He said, handing it to her. "We don't know what you'll face before the end. This can't hurt."

She looked up at him with wide eyes, surprised by the gesture. No one had ever wanted to give her a token before. He could say it was for luck all he wanted, but she knew there was more to it than that. She wouldn't argue though, she loved him too much to refuse any request he might give her.

"I'll keep it safe," She said, holding it to her heart for a moment before tucking it away.

She looked down, wishing there was something she had that she could give him in return. She didn't have anything, however, no one had ever given her anything lucky before and she hadn't found anything in her travels that she had considered sentimental.

"Good. I know it's foolish, but I'm glad," He answered, pulling her close to him.

She looked up just in time for him to kiss her. All thought of her telling him how she felt ran away when he kissed her and she melted into his embrace.


	21. Sampson's Hideout

The days passed in a blur for Rosalina. Skyhold was preparing for war, at least that's what it felt like. She had agreed to go with Cullen to a hideout he had found that seemed to belong to Sampson and ever since then everyone seemed to be on edge. She was thankful when the day arrived to leave. All that planning and preparing had been driving her crazy. She grinned at her team - Bull, Dorian, and Varric. With Cullen there she knew she could afford to bring the stout dwarf instead of another heavy hitter.

Varric wiggled his brows at her as they climbed into the carriage. Normally they would ride or walk, but Rosalina knew Varric and horses didn't get along and Cullen would not allow walking, so into the carriage they all went. She laughed slightly, feeling some of the tension leave her.

"See, Varric, this is why I bring you along. You have the capacity to turn even the most serious ventures into a joke somehow," She teased.

"And here I thought it was for my stunning good looks," He joked back.

"If I wanted stunning good looks I would bring Cullen everywhere."

The group burst into laughter at that as Cullen's face turned red.

"Well, really, Inquisitor, I appreciate the compliment -"

Rosalina shut the Commander up with a kiss.

"They all know, Cullen," She said when she broke away. "So there's no need to be formal around them."

"But, how?" He demanded.

The group laughed again before Bull finally answered.

"There's no way you two could keep your relationship secret. Especially not after the letters Rosie has tried hiding from us."

The couple blushed at that, knowing that some of the letters they wrote each other could get a little racy.

"I gotta admit, Curly, we all thought with the way you two write that something would have come of all those letters," Varric added, winking at the couple.

"Varric!" Rosalina exclaimed, horror-struck.

"He's only saying what we all are thinking, my dear," Dorian teased.

Rosalina huffed and buried her face into Cullen's heavy coat. She couldn't believe how embarrassed she was by their comments, having given out her fair dish of comments similar, but she couldn't stop the blush from rising to her face at their teasing. The trio chortled at her face, teasing her a little about her it.

Cullen watched all of this in surprise. He knew that they were close, but the fact that they were close enough to Rosalina to tease her was something that he had no expected. He was not, however, annoyed by it. There was a caring tone to their teasing that said they cared more for the Inquisitor than just as a boss. He looked over at her as she kept her face buried in his cloak. She definitely did inspire a certain kind of love and loyalty and he couldn't help but wonder if she even knew that she was like that.

He thought about it as they rode, wondering when the last time someone had inspired such loyalty in him. The Warden, she had done it without a problem all those years ago. Hawke had inspired some, but not a whole lot, the two were too different to really get along for a long period of time. He glanced at Varric who was watching Rosalina fondly and realized that while he cared for the Inquisitor he must miss Amelia.

Rosalina was glad when, almost six hours later, they left the little place that had been Sampson's hideout. Cullen, she could tell, was wrung out. Finding that Tranquil mage had nearly been Cullen's undoing and she wished she could offer more words of comfort. The ride home was much more subdue each of them lost in their own thoughts. All that was left really was to go to this Arbor Wilds and figure out what their next move from there was. She watched her boys carefully, noticing how tired they all seemed, and began to make plans for going to the Wilds.

_I'll have to get a different team for this one,_ She thought. _They all look so tired now. Maybe Solas. It's an elven ruin after all, he could be helpful there. Blackwall and Cassandra in case we need heavy hitters. Let Dorian and Bull have a break from me dragging them all the way around Thedas._

Then she looked over at her Commander and felt a pang of sympathy. He looked exhausted, but there was nothing she could do about that. There was no way she could let him stay behind and rest. She sighed sadly, wanting to take Cullen's burdens and carry them for him. It wasn't possible, she knew, but that didn't keep her from wishing anyway.


	22. Tonight's Going to be A Good Night

**AN: Warning: Contains Explict Sexual Content**

* * *

Rosalina stared at the door to Cullen's office, her heart hammering as she touched the door. Once more her stomach twisted in knots as she slowly pushed the door open. There was no reason for her to be nervous, but something felt different between them since the time they had spent at the Lake. She wasn't really sure what it was, but there was definitely something. She paused when she realized that he was in the middle of meeting and settled on waiting for him to finish. He was in the middle of talking to one of his men when he looked up and noticed her leaning against his door. He paused for a moment as his eyes locked on hers and then slowly finished what he was saying before dismissing the group that was gathered around him.

A few of them glanced curiously at the Inquisitor as they left, but none of them said anything. Cullen closed the door behind the last of them, leaning heavily against it.

"There's always something more, isn't there?" He asked, wearily.

"Wishing we were somewhere else?" She asked, only half teasing him.

She could sympathize, often she longed to be somewhere else. Anywhere that she could pretend, even for a short while, that she was just a normal girl and not the Inquisitor.

He chuckled softly, "I barely found time to get away before. This war won't last forever. When it started I hadn't considered much beyond our survival, but things are different now."

She followed him as he paced toward his desk, worry clenching her heart.

"What do you mean?" She asked, striding toward him.

"I find myself wondering what would happen after - when this is over. I don't want to move on. Not from you," He whispered, stroking her cheek gently, then looked away. "I don't know what you - that is if you -"

He cut himself and turned away, shuffling the papers around on his desk nervously.

Rosalina followed him.

"Cullen," She started, pressing herself between him and his desk. "Do you really need to ask?"

He looked up at her, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

"I suppose not," He answered, moving closer.

Rosalina propped herself onto the desk as he moved in, leaning back. She feared the moment was ruined when she pushed her hands back and knocked over a glass. Two couple looked at the offending shards on the floor before Rosalina looked back to him, worried.

He shook his head before smiling and scattering the rest of his desk onto the floor with the glass. She finished pushing herself up onto the table, kissing him deeply when he followed after her, pressing against her. They laid on the desk for a while, kissing urgently while stripping each other down.

"Maybe we should continue this upstairs," She managed to gasp out as he trailed hot kisses down her neck.

He pulled away, looking at her for a moment before nodding, "That would probably be for the best."

The two of them hurried up the ladder to his room, Rosalina feeling extremely exposed as she climbed ahead of him, completely nude. As soon as Cullen pulled himself up from the last rung he was on her, kissing her deeply as the two fell back into his bed. Once more Cullen trailed kisses down her neck, making her moan under him as he took a nipple in mouth, biting it gently.

Rosalina shifted, feeling liquid heat rushing through her. More than anything she wanted to satisfy the ache that heat was causing, but from underneath her lover she could nothing except moan and thrash and he took his time pleasuring her. His right hand held her arms pinned over her head as his left one travelled down her curves, finding her mound and rubbing it gently.

She moaned loudly, arching up to meet him, and felt his grin on her chest. She didn't care, however once he slid a finger inside her, making her cry out as his mouth began it's passage south once more. He released her hands, causing them to go straight into his hair as his mouth connected with her nether regions. He chuckled softly as she tugged his head closer to her and obliged her by slowly licking her.

She lost herself in the pleasure, only noticing when he pulled away to put something harder and hotter inside her. Looking down, Rosalina smiled as he kissed her gently before thrusting into her, starting out slowly and picking up speed as the two became accustom to each other's bodies.

This wasn't the first time for either of them, but Rosalina found that with Cullen, she just couldn't get enough. He caused the fire in her to burn hotter than anyone else ever had before and when she let go the room echoed with her screams. Cullen followed soon after and, climbing off her, he pulled her into his arms and the couple drifted off into sleep.


	23. The Morning After

Rosalina was dressing, thinking to slip away quietly under the cover of darkness, when Cullen started thrashing in his sleep. She turned, startled, as he yelled out and bolted upright in his bed, his eyes opening as he looked around in bewilderment before his eyes settled on her. He sighed in relief, leaning back on his bed, closing his eyes.

"Bad dream?" She asked, concerned for her lover.

"They always are," He replied, his voice full of regret. "I cannot escape them."

Rosalina looked down at him, biting her lower lip.

He opened his eyes again, and sat up, noticing her expression.

"I didn't mean to worry you," He said, touching her face gently.

"You can let me worry about you a little," She replied, running her fingers down the side of his face.

"All right," He sighed as she laid her head against his. "You are - I have never felt anything like this."

"I love you," She whispered. "You know that, right?"

Her stomach flip flopped, surprised that she had said the words that she had been holding in for days. Thankfully, before she could start panicking Cullen replied.

"I love you, too."

Relief flooded through her as she bent down and kissed him once more before standing. She slowly made her way back to her room as the sky began to lighten. At least she had gotten some sleep at Cullen's because she knew at any moment Josephine or Leliana would be sending someone up to fetch her for the day. She was just finishing up combing and changing when the usual knock sounded on her door.

"Yes, come in," She called, turning to see Dorian standing there with a smirk.

"Did you have fun last night?" He teased, looking her up and down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She replied, blushing at the memory of what Cullen and her had done only a few hours prior.

Silently she scolded herself for blushing. She wasn't a young girl who had just had her virginity taken after all. She had lost that well before Haven even happened, so why was she so embarrassed now? She looked up at Dorian who winked at her.

"Right. So that screaming coming from Cullen's room last night was you two fighting."

Rosalina could feel her face turning even redder, she hadn't realized that she'd been that loud. Judging by the look on Dorian's face, she'd been a lot louder than she realized.

"How many people know?" She asked, looking at him.

"How many people know, or how many people heard, my dear. Because the answers are very different," He grinned.

She sighed and sat on her bed, "Both I suppose."

"Oh, only about half of Skyhold heard, but everyone knows. You can't stop rumors after all."

Rosalina glared at the mage. Somehow she just knew that he wasn't trying to stop the rumors so much as spread them around. She ran a hand through her hair as she stared at him.

"I suppose, then, that I had better talk to everyone," She answered, standing.

Dorian raised an eyebrow at her.

"Talk to them about what, exactly?"

"My relationship with Cullen. Josie and Leliana should at least know about it and be advised that it won't affect -"

"Rosie, dear," Dorian interrupted. "You're the Inquisitor. The head guy - girl. You don't have to tell anyone anything. Everyone here already knows there's something going on between you and the dashing Commander, but no one has said anything because we can all tell you two prefer your privacy. There is no need to talk to anyone about the relationship."

"But last night -"

"Last night you two did what two consenting adults in love do - and don't try to deny that you're in love, everyone's seen you two making eyes at each other. Just go about your business as normal and if anyone tries to say anything to you about it, tell them to jump off a cliff. You're our Inquisitor - our leader. And Cullen is our Commander, you two don't have to take flack from anyone. Not even our dear Josie or Leliana."

"I really couldn't have said it better myself," Leliana's voice called as she appeared from around the last bend in the stairs, causing both of them to look at her in fear.

"Don't worry, I completely agree with Dorian. Just so long as you two make each other happiness and don't bring your personal lives into the fight I say go for it," She grinned. "You two remind me of another couple I once knew, long ago."

"Who?" Rosalina asked, truly curious, since she knew so little about the Spymaster.

"The Hero of Fereldan - Moreta - and Alistair. Those two were crazy in love," She looked wistfully out the window. "When she died, I thought Alistair would go mad with grief, but he didn't. He ran instead, running all the way to Kirkwall, where I hear he's been hold up ever since."

She shook herself, smiling at Rosalina, "But that's not going to happen here. You're going to live a long and healthy life with the Commander and you'll have a bunch of little Cullens and Rosalinas running around for all of us to love. And don't you dare do anything to change it."

She added the last part with a glare at the Inquisitor, as if she thought Rosalina was going to go off and purposely get herself killed.


	24. Arbor Wilds

The Arbor Wilds wasn't at all like Rosalina imagined, which was perfectly fine by her. She tried not to admire her surroundings too much as she waded through enemies. In front of her Blackwall and Cassandra worked on clearing a path while behind her Solas and Morrigan did what they could to keep their enemies from sneaking up behind her. While she really hadn't wanted to bring the witch along she was grateful that she had come anyway.

The Temple was a breeze to get through once she had aligned with the elves that were protecting the place and she easily captured Sampson, glaring down at him as her soldiers took him away. Turning she saw Abelas and Morrigan flying up toward the well - in Abelas's case figuratively as he made steps appear before him, running up them. Rosalina exchanged concerned looks with her party before running after them.

She hated seeing the rage that burned in Morrigan's eyes when she stopped the witch from drinking from the well. Abelas looked terrified but thankful. She sighed inwardly, somehow she was going to have to find a way to allow the witch to drink while keep the elf happy. Diplomacy had never seemed so difficult.

After getting the elf's permission and consulting with her crew, Rosalina stepped aside, allowing Morrigan to drink. She kept an eye out for any enemies while the raven-haired woman did just that, and was thankful to see the woman was up when Corypheus appeared, his eyes blazing at seeing them. She turned to ask the witch what it was they were supposed to do now, but before she could get the words out the eluvian opened, and they were ushered inside. Rosalina had just enough time to look back and see the false god flying toward them before the mirror shut, blocking him out.

She stumbled into the room in Skyhold, looking around only slightly bewildered, thanks to her previous trip through it.

"Well, I guess I'd better see how the advisors are faring," She stated, refusing to meet any of her companion's eyes.

Without another words she turned, fleeing for the safety of the War Room and Cullen's arms.

She was honestly surprised to find him already waiting when she got there. She'd expected to see Josephine and even Leliana, since the former had gone just to witness the beginning action and the ladder hadn't even shown up. She had expected that Cullen would have stayed with his troops, however. She didn't say anything though, while she filled them in on the events of at the temple, Morrigan filling in the parts that she was uncertain of.

When the conference was finally over she watched as the others filed out until it was just Cullen and her in the room, Leliana winked as she closed the door behind her. Cullen hurried toward her just as soon as they heard the click, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank the Maker you're alright. I was so worried," He whispered, kissing her hair.

She chuckled softly, "You were worried? I was panicking inside. I kept thinking about everything that could go wrong. At least if things went wrong on my end, I would probably end up dead. But you.."

She trailed off, pressing her hand to his cheek.

He sighed and kissed her, "Then we were both worried, but there's no need to be worried anymore."

She nodded, "This is true. And Morrigan knows what to do now."

They looked at each other, allowing their first smiles of the day to start.

"I have a good feeling," He whispered.

"As do I," She answered. "Do you think that we're almost done?"

He nodded, "I think so, yes."

She grinned, "Good. Because I'm ready to put aside my title and just be whoever and whatever I am to you."

He grinned back, neither of them knowing that two other advisors were sitting on the other side of the door, listening with wide smiles across their faces.


	25. The Final Piece

Following Morrigan to the ruins where she insisted they had to go made the perfect opportunity for Rosalina to contemplate her future. This war couldn't go on forever and she knew that it was going to end soon with a showdown between Corypheus and herself. She just hoped she would be the one to emerge victorious.

_And alive_, she silently added, a small frown forming on her face as she recalled that she was late this month.

She considered going to one of the mages and talking to them about it, but she was nervous. She really didn't want them knowing her personal life, although, if Dorian was correct, everyone already knew anyways. She shook her head, the fact still remained that she didn't want anyone else to know what was going on.

She had considered going to Morrigan for advice, but rejected it when she realized that she knew nothing about the mage really. Rosalina sighed, eyeing her group. Cole and Blackwall were looking around in curiosity as they studied the ruins while Solas was eyeing her in concern. She shifted, looking away from the elf's gaze, wondering how much he could read from her.

Before she could continue contemplating her situation Morrigan had found the alter and they all gathered around it, wanting to know what would happen now. Rosalina dismissed her companions at the witch's insistence with a remainder to stay close just in case things went wrong. They exchanged worried looks but left without argument.

"Now what?" Rosalina asked, crossing her arms as she studied the ruined alter.

Morrigan didn't answer, instead she unleashed the magic inside her, addressing the alter.

"You know who I am. From High Priest to High Priest I am the last to drink of the Well of Sorrows," She intoned. "Come to us Mythal. Whatever you are, whatever remains, I invoke your name, and your power."

The two turned as a small noise and gray cloud appeared behind them, taking the shape of a tall, white-haired woman dressed in what appeared to be dragon skin, horns jutting out from a head piece to fall back, lying on her hair. She exuded confidence in her every step as she moved toward them.

Morrigan's face formed a frown as she stared at the woman before them.

"Mother," She said, disgusted.

"Mother?" Rosalina asked in confusion.

"Now, isn't this a surprise?" The woman teased, though her face betrayed no such emotion.

"What's wrong?" Rosalina asked, turning slightly toward the witch.

"We have been deceived," Morrigan cried as she warmed her magic.

"Now, now that's quite enough of that," The woman answered, annoyed, stopping anything that Morrigan might cast at her.

Morrigan gasped, looking at her hands in dimay, "What have you done to me?"

"I have done nothing. You drank from the well of your own volition."

"Then you... are _Mythal_?" Rosalina could hear the surprise in Morrigan's voice.

"That's Mythal?" Rosalina was utterly confused now.

"You invoke that name so easily. I wonder if you know what it means."

"I do not understand," Morrigan pleaded. "How can _you_ be _Mythal_?"

"Once I was but a woman, crying out in the lonely darkness for justice. And she came to me, a whisper, an ancient being and she granted me all that I wanted and more. I have carried Mythal through the ages ever since, seeking the justice denied to her."

"Then you carry Mythal inside you?" Rosaliana finally spoke.

"She is a part of me. No more separate than your heart from your chest. You hear the voices from the well, girl. What do they say?"

Morrigan closed her eyes, listening to something only she could hear before opening them back up in wonderment.

"They say you speak the truth," She replied, shaking her head as if to deny it.

"But what was Mythal? A legend given name and called a god? Or something more? Truth is not the end, but a beginning. "

The woman finally walked toward them, climbing the steps until she was only inches away from the two girls.

"So young and vibrant. You do the people proud and have come far," She said, turning her gaze on Rosalina. "As for me, I have had many names. But you may call me Flemeth."

"Then you're Mythal and Morrigan's mother?"

"As well as a witch who prolongs her unnatural life by possessing the bodies of her daughters," Morrigan said angrily.

"That's what you believe, is it?"

"I found your grimoire and I am no fool, old woman."

Flemeth chuckled, "Yet here you stand, bound into my service. My daughter ran from me long ago. I've let it be, until now it seems."

"We summoned you because we need your help," Rosalina interrupted, not wanting to watch this escalate further.

"Against the magister who grasps beyond his reach, yes, I know. The voices did not lie, Morrigan, I _can_ help you fight Corypheus."

Stretching out her arm she allowed the magic to flow from her into Morrigan as Rosalina watched on in confusion. Finally she pulled away and smile softly at the witch.

"Do you understand, child?"

"Yes, I think I do."

With that Flemeth turned and began to leave.

"Wait," Morrigan cried out desperately.

"I wished to see who drank from the Well of Sorrows. It has been a very long time," Flemeth answered their unspoken question. "Imagine my surprise to discover it was you."

"And that is all?"

"A soul is not forced upon the unwilling, Morrigan. You were never in any danger from me."

They watched as she disappeared at that, seeming to step into a cloud of smoke and then she was gone.

"All things considered, Inquisitor, I know wish you had drank from the well," Morrigan said, staring at the spot where the woman she called mother had disappeared while Rosalina watched her in concern.

Neither of them said another word as they made their way out of the ruins, heading back toward Skyhold.


	26. The Final Charge

Rosalina was in conference with her advisors when she noticed the pain flaring up her arm. She tried wrapping things up quickly, not wanting them to notice what she was noticing. That pain had gone away since closing the Breach, at least, it had gone down to a dull ache that she could handle. Now it was back, burning bright and fiery through her veins. She bit her lip to keep from screaming out. Then the green flared in the sky and everyone knew what it was that she had been trying to keep to herself - the Breach had been reopened.

Josephine had been in the middle of saying something about looking in Orzarmar for the false god when the green light broke through the sky, Rosalina's mark flaring so bright that there was no mistaking what was going on. Cullen looked at her with concern while the others stared at the sky outside.

"It seems Corypheus is not content to wait," Morrigan said softly, turning her gaze onto the Inquisitor.

"He's in the Valley of Sacred Ashes," Rosalina said in surprise.

"You either close the Breach once more or it swallows the world," Morrigan said in annoyance.

"But that's madness," Josephine protested. "Wouldn't that kill him as well."

Rosalina didn't think that he really cared.

"Inquisitor, we have no forces to send with you. We must wait for them to return from the Arbor Wilds," Cullen said, looking at her in desperation.

"Just as Corypheus expects, I suppose," Rosalina whispered, her eyes on the Breach in the sky.

She turned on her heel, gathering her things quickly. She refused to say goodbye to Cullen or anyone else, determined that if this was her last stand then it was going to be done with the promise that she would return. Bull, Blackwall, and Dorian stood at the doors, waiting for her.

"You're not going alone, my dear," Dorian announced as soon as she was within earshot. "Don't think for a moment that we would let you."

Rosalina flashed a grin, trying to remain light hearted about the whole thing, "I wouldn't dream of going off to face an ancient magister without you, Dorian."

He chuckled as the mounted their horses, "Glad to see you can keep your sense of humor at a time like this."

They rode in silence, each contemplating the things that were leaving behind and wondering if they would be able to go back to them at the end of the day. Bull and Dorian shared a look that said more than words could and Rosalina smiled to herself, realizing that her suspicions that the two were a couple were dead on. Blackwall looked back once and she wondered if the false warden was missing his beloved Josephine. She silently vowed that if they made it through this final battle then she was going to have a word with both of them about their feelings. It was high time they did something about that.

As for Rosalina, she kept her eyes on the road and tried not to think of a certain blonde commander waiting for her with fear in his heart. Nor did she think about the child that she suspected was growing inside her. Instead she focused all of her energy on how she was supposed to defeat this monster that everyone had come to expect she would be able to kill.

Reaching the ruins of Haven, Rosalina dismounted, allowing the others to lead the way. Somewhere along the road the rest of her little group had joined them and now Cassandra led the charge with an angry glint in her eyes. Rosalina followed right behind her, hands on her daggers while the rest fell in behind the two angry women, thankful that they were not to be on the receiving end of that anger.


	27. A Midnight Visit

Rosalina dropped to the ground in exhaustion. The battle had lasted centuries? Minutes? She had no way of knowing, only that it was over far too soon and yet not soon enough for her liking. She could hear others around her, though, after the ruins had fallen from the sky, she could not see them. She shivered a little and tried not recall everything that had just happened.

Instead of it flowing to the back of her mind like she was trying to force it to do, it dangled itself in front. Reminding her of how tiring and painful the fight was when Corypheus could just fly away and attack them out of nowhere. Then the dragon that they'd ended up having to finish off as Morrigan fell from the sky, too wounded to continue on. After that, back to Corypheus. The others may have been surprised at the rage she unleashed on him, but somehow she was okay with that, too. She was okay with a lot of things, so long as she could get back home to Cullen.

_Cullen._

Just thinking about him made her hand instantly settle on her stomach, knowing that it was time to talk to someone about it. She had just settled on going to Solas for help when the mage informed him that he was leaving. She didn't really understand it, but she knew that she couldn't stop him either, so she just nodded, allowing him to go on his way.

Now she had two choices - Dorian or Vivienne? Vivienne would probably be more skilled at detecting any sign of life within her, but the idea of the dark-skinned woman knowing anything before she could tell the others chilled Rosalina. She turned, looking back at her best friend, who was currently leaning on Bull in exhaustion.

"Dorian," She called softly as they began the trek back to Skyhold. "Can I borrow you for a moment?"

The mage slowed his horse until they were riding side-by-side and she leaned toward him a little bit.

"I have a favor to ask you, my dear," She whispered.

"For you, dove, anything," He teased. "Though right now, if it's magical, it may have to wait a bit. It seems fighting ancient magisters who want to be gods exhausts my magic supply just a bit."

"What? You, the Great Dorian, exhausted by an ancient magister?" She teased back. "And here I thought you were all powerful."

"All knowing, yes. Not all powerful," He winked.

Rosalina sighed, "I'm afraid that what I need from you is magical in nature. But I can wait if you need to rest. Just come find me when you're ready. In return, I'll tell you a juicy secret that no one else knows yet."

"Ah, the lady does know how to speak my language," Dorian dramatized, clutching his hand to his heart.

Rosalina chuckled softly as she stared fondly at her best friend. She was thankful that she had allowed him to stay all that time ago. Without Dorian life would, indeed, be much duller.

Hours later, once the party had stopped and Cullen had slipped away for the night, Dorian snuck into her room, finding her sitting by the fire, staring into as if deep in thought.

"And what, my dear, has you brooding so intently," He teased, sitting across from her. "You should be celebrating. You've vanquished the monster, won the prince, and managed to live. I would call that a good day, but here you sit brooding."

Rosalina sighed, "Dorian, I know you're area of magical expertise isn't healing magic, but I just couldn't bear the thought of going to that awful woman."

"Viv isn't so bad," Dorian said, looking at her in alarm.

"But she's not you," She replied.

Dorian smirked, "Well, no but then no one is - what's wrong, Rosie?"

Rosalina looked at him in surprise. Dorian rarely called her Rosie, usually sticking with a term of endearment for her name. When he did he meant business.

Rosalina gestured to her stomach, "Dorian, I need you to check something for me."

The man's eye's widened already knowing what the rogue was going to say before she finished her sentence.

"I think I'm pregnant."

Dorian didn't hesitate, immediately he fell to his knees, pressing his hands to her stomach to get a reading. Rosalina tilted her head back, closing her eyes as the mage prodded, allowing what little bit of healing magic he had to trace it's way through her until he looked up at her, blinking.

"Good news," He whispered.

Rosalina smiled down at him, "Hmm?"

"You and the Commander are going to make wonderful parents."

AN: Almost done! I hope everyone is liking it so far!


	28. Cullen's Reaction

"Are you going to tell him?" Dorian demanded a month later. "Or am I going to have to do it?

Rosalina still hadn't said anything to anyone. She was terrified. What if Cullen rejected the baby? What if he hated her for it? What if he ran from it? Logically, she knew those were stupid questions because Cullen loved children and would be thrilled to find out he was going to be a father. However, that didn't stop her heart from racing and her gut from clenching every single time she thought about telling him.

Rosalina looked at her best friend in fear, knowing that he would follow through on his threat. She shook her head, biting her lip.

"I will tell him," She whispered. "I just need time."

"Rosalina," He sighed, making her look at him in surprise at the use of her full name. "You've had a month. You're going to be showing soon and then the whole world is going to know. Don't you think that Cullen should at least know before then?"

She nodded, tears threatening to spill over, "But what if he rejects us."

Dorian laughed, "Is that what's holding you back, my dear? I promise you that Cullen could no more reject you than I could reject Bull."

Dorian gently shoved her in the direction of her beloved Commander.

"Now go tell him," He hissed.

Rosalina sighed and intercepted Cullen as he was heading out of Josephine's office. She grinned as she reached him, causing him to look up from his paperwork with an answering grin.

"And what can I do for you, my love?" He whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Actually, can we talk? Alone?" She asked, nervously.

Cullen's eyes darkened for a moment before he nodded and she wondered what it was that he was thinking that would cause them to look so worried. She turned on her heel, however, and led him to her room where she knew they would be undisturbed.

Sitting on her bed, she looked up at him with worry, wondering how he would handle the news. She gestured and he pulled up a chair, sitting across from her, for which she was thankful, knowing that he would probably pass out otherwise. Taking a deep breath, Rosalina opened her mouth and was surprised as the words just rushed out.

"Cullen, I'm pregnant," She finally managed.

For a moment the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop and Rosalina felt sweat starting to trickle down her back. What if he rejected this? What was he thinking? Why wouldn't he say anything?

"What?"

"I'm pregnant," She said again, looking at her hands twisting in her lap. She hated feeling so helpless.

His face broke into a giant grin.

"I'm going to be a dad?" He asked in wonderment.

She nodded before his face clouded, "How far along are you?"

She cringed inwardly. This was the question that she was dreading more than any other, he was going to freak when he found out that she had fought Corypheus in this condition.

"About three months," She whispered, looking down again.

"Three months," For a moment it didn't register and then, "You fought him like this?"

Rosalina nodded.

"Did you know?"

She shook her head, "I was starting to suspect, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to know until I was sure that we were going to make it through this."

He growled, "You should have gone to someone as soon as you started suspecting."

"I did. After I finished fighting. Dorian promises that we're too early for it to have hurt the baby anyways."

His face broke into another grin at the word baby, "Who else knows?"

"Just you and Dorian. He's the one who checked."

Cullen grinned, "Well I think it's time we made the announcement."

Rosalina laughed softly as he rushed down the stairs. She followed at a slower pace, taking her time, and by the time she got down there a commotion had broken out in the hall as Cullen had already told Josephine and Leliana and was rushing over to tell Varric. Rosalina shook her head, but remained smiling. He was like a kid in a toy shop, telling everyone he could their great news.

She wandered over to her two other advisors, smiling at them.

"So I suppose you've heard the news," She teased softly.

"I think at this rate everyone will have heard the news," Leliana said dryly as they watched Cullen inform Varric, who rushed to inform someone else.

Rosalina laughed, "Yes. At least, everyone who he thinks needs to know."

"We should probably move you," Josephine said, scribbling away at her clipboard. "Somewhere with less stairs. Right now they shouldn't be a problem, but later you'll want a room closer to everyone so you're less likely to hurt yourself. I'll make the arrangements."

Rosalina watched her go in surprise. She shook her head, this was going to be a long six months that she still had left if everyone treated her like she was glass.


	29. End

The wedding had been a simple but elegant affair. Cullen was determined that if the girl he loved was going to have his child then they were going to get married. Rosalina had insisted on a small wedding, which he easily consented to. She had worn the same dress she wore to The Empress's Ball while he had worn his full uniform, complete with decorations. Vivienne, being the newly appointed Divine, had married them while Varric had walked her down the isle and Cassandra and Sera - much to their surprise - had been her bridesmaids. Cullen had asked his brother and Dorian to stand with them.

Neither couple were surprised when, later that night, they found his brother locked in the closet with Cassandra. They'd quietly shut the door and continued on as if they'd seen nothing of the activities going on in that room. Grinning they'd made their way back to their room, feeling lighter than they had in years.

* * *

Dorian had told them it might be a difficult birth. In reality, Rosalina was too small to bear children, but she didn't care about that. All she wanted to know was if her child was healthy. Dorian had assured her that it was. Neither of them wanted to know if he could determine the sex, they wanted it to be a surprise.

* * *

_Cullen was shaken from his thoughts by a rough shake on his shoulder._

_"Sparkles says it's okay to go in now," Varric whispered. "We thought you'd like to be first."_

_He nodded his appreciation, running up the steps to the room that used to be Vivienne's before she'd left them. He grinned down at Rosalina, lying sweaty and exhausted on the bed, a beautiful yellow bundle curled up in one arm. She beamed up at Cullen and he was certain that he'd never seen anyone look as lovely as she did. Even their wedding day paled in comparison._

_"Cullen, I'd like you to meet like Ava Mia Rutherford," Rosalina said, holding out the child for Cullen to take. "Ava, meet your daddy."_

_Cullen's heart swelled as he took the little bundle from his wife, grinning down at the sleeping baby. He hadn't realized how much he could love someone until the moment he held his daughter in his arms._

_Bending down he kissed Rosalina on the forehead._

_"You are amazing," He whispered in her ear._

_She beamed up at him and, even as the others crowded in, cooing at the little bundle of joy, Cullen knew his heart could never be fuller._


End file.
